TEACHING CHILDREN TO YOU FIGHT BACK. BUT THIS LESSON OFFERS MORE THAN JUST HOW TO KICK OR PUNCH. IF GOOD PEOPLE AND BAD PEOPLE LOOK THE SAME, HOW DO WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE? ARMING CHILDREN WITH INFORMATION TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, WHEN THEY ARE ON THEIR OWN. WE, OF COURSE, TEACH OUR KIDS ABOUT STRANGERS, NOT TO GO WITH THEM, NEVER GET IN THEIR CARS. YOU HAVE TO WONDER CAN YOUR CHILDREN HANDLE THEMSELVES IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION WITHOUT YOU AROUND TO PROTECT THEM. OUR KAREN DREW INTRODUCES US TO A PLYMOUTH WOMAN PERSONALLY MOAT 78ED TO TEACH YOUR CHILDREN. RILEY IS READY TO FACE AN ATTACKER. HOW FAR AWAY SHOULD WE BE FROM SOMEONE THAT WE DON'T KNOW? EVERYBODY? MONSTER STEPS. TONIA SAYS THAT CHILDREN'S SAFETY EDUCATION NEEDS TO INCLUDE ESSENTIAL DECISION MAKING SKILLS. IF SOMEBODY HURTS YOU OR TRICKS YOU IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT. SO WHAT CAN YOU DO, EVER? TELL. IF SOMEBODY DOES NOT BELIEVE YOU WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? TELL AGAIN. TELL AGAIN. SHE TEACHES THOSE SKILLS FIGHTING SPIRIT. PERSONAL SAFETY IN PLYMOUTH. IS IT OKAY TO SAY NO TO A GROWNUP? YES. ARE YOU SURE? CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS FIVE CAN TAKE THE RAD KIDS PROGRAM. IT STANDS FOR RESISTING AGGRESSION DEFENSIVELY. IT IS AN EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM FOR KIDS. AND THAT TEACHES THEM ALL KINDS OF SAFETY EDUCATION. OUT AND ABOUT SAFETY. WHAT TO DO IF THEY FIND A GUN WHEN THEY ARE OUT IN THE BACKYARD PLAYING. WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE IS BULLYING THEM AT SCHOOL. WHAT IS YOUR NAME? DURING THE WEEK LONG SUMMER CAMP KIDS LEARN TO MAKE DECISIONS AND PHYSICAL MOVES. THEN THEY FACE THE RED MAN AND EXPERIENCE WHAT IT IS LIKE TO GET AWAY FROM AN ATTACKER. CLAP FOR JESSIE. SHE IS UP FIRST. EXCUSE ME, COME WITH ME. GET OUT OF THERE JESSE. YELL JESSE. KICK. GOOD. GOOD. GOOD. NOW RUN. TONIA MAKES SURE THAT CHILDREN KNOW WHAT TO DO AFTER THEY GET AWAY. TAKE A BELLY BREATH. BREATHE, CALL FOR HELP. WHAT WE DO IS MAKE THEM ANXIOUS AND NERVOUS. EVEN THOUGH IT IS A SAFE AND CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT. THEN WE SEE WHAT DID THEY ACTUALLY DO. THAT'S HOW WE WORK THROUGH IT. THAT'S HOW THEY DEVELOP LIFE SKILLS. AT FIRST THEY ARE NERVOUS AND SCARED. THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO YELL. THEN TO SEE THEM GROW. GAIN CONFIDENCE AND SCREAM AND YELL AND DRAW ATTENTION AND FIGHT THE RED MAN. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. REWARDING. I KIND OF HAD MIXED EMOTIONS ABOUT IT. PART OF ME WAS SCARED. PART OF ME EXCITED. I WAS KIND OF NERVOUS. MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD INSIDE BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE SAFE. LIKE NOT JUST SAFE BUT YOU KNOW YOUR CAPABILITIES. GREAT KICKS. TONIA IS MOTIVATED TO TEACH. SHE WAS ASSAULTED AS A TEENAGER. I WAS A HIGH LEVEL COMPETITOR. I WAS VERY CONFIDENT WHENEVER I WAS DOING MY MARTIAL-ARTS. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT SAFETY IS ABOUT. IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT PHYSICAL PART. KICKING. PUNCHING. I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO ASSERT MYSELF OR ASK FOR HELP. SHE NEVER WANTS HER DAUGHTER ON FEEL LIKE THAT. IS IT ALL RIGHT TO TALK TO PEOPLE WE DO NOT KNOW? YES. BEST WAY FOR PARENTS TO START IS TO DISPEL ONE MYTH. THAT'S TO STOP TELLING YOUR CHILDREN NOT TO TALK TO STRANGERS. THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT HURT OUR CHILDREN ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN OUR LIVES. WE CAN JUST DISPEL THAT MYTH AND START FOCUSING ON WHAT IS A. PERSON AND WHAT IS A BAD PERSON AND SOMEONE YOU DO NOT KNOW CAN HELP YOU. WHO WAS A GOOD PERSON TO ASK FOR HELP? KATIE? A POLICEMAN. WHO ELSE IS ANOTHER GOOD PERSON? A MOM WITH KIDS. THAT'S A GREAT PERSON TO ASK. PARENTS WATCH COMFORTED BY WHAT THEY SEE THEIR CHILDREN LEARNING. AT A MINIMUM. CONFIDENCE. AND MAXIMUM. , PERHAPS, HOW TO SAVE YOUR OWN LIFE. WILL NOT PREVENT ANYTHING FROM HAPPENING BUT IT WILL GIVE THEM A GREATER CHANCE OF GETTING OUT OF ANYTHING. IF IT EVER DOES HAPPEN. TONIA SUGGESTS HAVING THE 2 P'S WITH YOUR CHILD. PERMISSION. CHILD WILL NOT LEAVE WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION. PASSWORD. CODE WORD F SOMEONE PICKS UP YOUR CHILD THEY SAY THE CODE WORD. YOUR CHILD RECOGNIZES IT AND YOU KNOW IT IS A SAFE SITUATION. KAREN DREW, BACK TO YOU. WELL, IF YOU LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON TOPIA SELF DEFENSE PROGRAMS HEAD TO THE FAMILY PAGE AT CLICKONDETROIT.COM AND IT IS UNDER THE LIFE-STYLE SECTION.

PLYMOUTH, Mich. -

Tanya Panizzo is passionate about teaching children to protect themselves.

Walk into Fighting Spirit Personal Safety in Plymouth, you will find her teaching kids safety education through the radKIDS program. Rad stands for "resisting aggression defensively."

"It's an empowerment program for kids that teaches them all kinds of safety education," Panizzo said. "Out and about safety. What to do if they find a gun out in the backyard playing. What to do if someone is bullying them at school. So it's all about safety."

Children as young as five can take her radKIDS program.

During the week-long summer camp, children learn decision-making skills and physical moves if they find themselves in an unsafe or violent situation. After they learn the skills, they face an attacker through a simulation so they can actually experience what it might feel like to get away.

"What we do is we get them a little bit anxious and nervous. Even though it is a very safe and controlled environment and then we see, what did they actually do. And that's how we work through it and that's how they develop life skills," said Panizzo.

Panizzo also makes sure the children know what to do after they get way. She tells them to take a big belly breath before they dial 911.

Students who have participated in the radKIDS program said it was a good experience.

"I kind of had mixed emotions. Part of me was scared and part of me was really excited," said 10-year-old, Brandon Civitanova.

"It makes you feel good inside, because you know that you are safe. Not just safe, but you know your capabilities," said 11-year-old Giona Decina.

Panizzo, who has a daughter of her own, never wants a child to experience what she did growing up. She was assaulted as a teenager.

"I was a high-level competitor. I was confident whenever I was doing my martial arts activities, but that's not what safety is all about, kicking and punching. I didn't know how to assert myself. I didn't really know how to ask for help," said Panizzo.

Panizzo also wants parents to teach their children to speak to the right strangers. Panizzo said parents need to focus on what is a good person, and what is a bad person.

"The best way for parents to start is to dispel one myth, and that is to stop telling your children not to talk to strangers. That the majority of people who hurt our children are people that are in our lives," Panizzo said.

She tells kids a good person to ask for help is a policeman, a person in uniform, or a mom with children. Panizzo teaches them that someone you don't know can help you.

Louise Mann says radKIDS has given her daughter confidence at the least, and the power of possibly saving her own life.

"It's not going to prevent anything from happening but it will give them a much greater chance of getting out of anything, if it ever does happen," said Suzanne Stegeman, a mom who has three children enrolled in radKIDS.

Panizzo also recommends parents have the "Two Ps" with their children; that is, permission and password. Children should never go with anyone unless they get permission from their parents and families should come up with a password that only people who are allowed to pick up the children should know. Parents should teach their children to ask for the password before going with anyone.

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